Concerta
Concerta helps improve focus, concentration, and reduce impulsive behavior by boosting activity in certain underactive parts of the brain.
Form
depottabletti
Strength
54 mg
Active Ingredient
Methylphenidate hydrochloride
Manufacturer
Janssen-Cilag Oy
How to Use
Dosage
Your doctor will usually start treatment with a low dose and may increase it by 18 mg, not more than once a week. The usual starting dose for children and adults is 18 mg once daily.
Method
Take one tablet whole with a glass of water once daily in the morning. Do not chew, divide, or crush the tablet. You can take it with or without food.
Important
For children, the maximum daily dose is 54 mg. For adults, the maximum daily dose is 72 mg.
Possible Side Effects
COMMON
- •Headache
- •Nervousness
- •Trouble sleeping
- •Joint pain
- •Blurred vision
- •Tension headache
- •Dry mouth, thirst
- •Difficulty falling asleep
- •Fever
- •Decreased sex drive
- •Unusual hair loss or thinning
- •Muscle stiffness, muscle cramps
- •Loss of appetite or decreased appetite
- •Inability to get or keep an erection
- •Itching, rash, or red, raised itchy rash (hives)
- •Unusual sleepiness or drowsiness, feeling tired
- •Teeth grinding (bruxism)
- •Feeling of panic
- •Tingling, prickling, or numb feeling on the skin
- •Increased levels of a liver enzyme in the blood
- •Cough, sore throat, or irritation of the nose or throat, upper respiratory infection, sinus infection
- •High blood pressure, fast heart rate (tachycardia)
- •Dizziness (vertigo), feeling weak, uncontrolled movements, hyperactivity
- •Aggressiveness, agitation, tension, depression, irritability, edginess, nervousness, and unusual behavior
- •Digestive problems or stomach upset, stomach pain, diarrhea, nausea, uncomfortable feeling in the stomach, and vomiting
- •Excessive sweating
- •Weight loss
- •Irregular heartbeats (palpitations)
- •Mood swings or changes in personality
RARE
- •Dry eyes
- •Constipation
- •Chest discomfort
- •Blood in urine
- •Lack of motivation
- •Tremors or shaking
- •Increased need to urinate
- •Muscle pain, muscle twitching
- •Shortness of breath or chest pain
- •Feeling hot
- •Increased liver enzyme levels (seen in blood tests)
- •Anger, restlessness or crying, excessive talkativeness, over-awareness of surroundings, difficulty sleeping
- •Sexual drive problems
- •Feeling confused or disoriented
- •Vision problems or double vision
- •Breast swelling in men
- •Skin redness, red, bumpy rash
- •Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
- •Muscle spasms
- •Small red spots on the skin
- •Liver problems, including sudden liver failure and coma
- •Changes in test results, including liver and blood tests
- •Unusual thoughts, lack of feelings or emotions
- •Cold arms and legs
- •Numbness, tingling, and color changes (white to blue then red) in fingers and toes when cold (Raynaud's phenomenon)
- •Migraine
- •Enlarged pupils
- •Very high fever
- •Slow, fast, or extra heartbeats
- •Severe epileptic seizure (grand mal seizure)
- •Delusions (believing things that are not true)
- •Severe stomach pain, often with nausea and vomiting
- •Brain blood vessel problems (stroke, cerebral arteritis or cerebral occlusion)
- •Inability to control urination (incontinence)
- •Jaw muscle spasm making it difficult to open the mouth (trismus)
- •Stammering
- •Nosebleed
- •Suicidal thoughts or feelings
- •Seeing, hearing, or feeling things that aren't there (hallucinations), these are signs of psychosis
- •Uncontrolled speech or body movements (Tourette's syndrome)
- •Signs of allergic reaction such as rash, itching or hives, swelling of the face, lips, tongue or other body parts, shortness of breath, wheezing or difficulty breathing
- •Heart attack
- •Sudden death
- •Suicide attempt
- •Seizures (convulsions, epileptic fits)
- •Peeling skin or red patches on the skin
- •Brain artery inflammation or blockage
- •Temporary paralysis or problems with movement and vision, speech difficulties (these may be signs of brain blood vessel disorders)
- •Uncontrolled muscle twitching in eyes, head, neck, body, and nervous system
- •Decreased number of blood cells (red or white blood cells, platelets), which can increase susceptibility to infections, bleeding, and bruising
- •Sudden increase in body temperature, very high blood pressure, and severe seizures (neuroleptic malignant syndrome)
- •Recurring unwanted thoughts
- •Unexplained fainting, chest pain, shortness of breath (these may indicate heart problems)
- •Prolonged and sometimes painful erections, or increased number of erections
- •Unusual excitement, overactivity and uninhibited behavior (mania)
Important Warnings
- Do not take if you or your child are allergic to methylphenidate or any other ingredient in this medicine.
- Do not take if you or your child have thyroid problems.
- Do not take if you or your child have an eye condition called glaucoma (high eye pressure).
- Do not take if you or your child have a tumor on the adrenal gland (phaeochromocytoma).
- Do not take if you or your child have an eating disorder, like anorexia, where you don't feel hungry or want to eat.
Show 5 more warnings
- Do not take if you or your child have very high blood pressure or narrowing of blood vessels, which can cause pain in your arms and legs.
- Do not take if you or your child have ever had heart problems, such as a heart attack, irregular heartbeat, chest pain, heart failure, heart disease, or a congenital heart defect.
- Do not take if you or your child have had problems with blood vessels in the brain, such as a stroke, aneurysm, narrowed or blocked blood vessels, or vasculitis.
- Do not take if you or your child are currently taking or have taken certain antidepressants called MAO inhibitors within the last 14 days.
- Do not take if you or your child have severe mental health problems, such as personality disorders, unusual thoughts or visions (schizophrenia), severe mood disorders including suicidal thoughts, deep sadness, feelings of worthlessness, hopelessness, or mania (feeling unusually excited, overactive, and uninhibited).